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I bought this 94 civic within the last week, and i know its a project car and that is completely fine with me cause i wanna fix her up and make her run great. i haveve already done a few things to put her in better shape and i got a few questions that if anyone can answer or provide some input would be greatly appreciated.

ok, so what i have already done to the car is, i replaced the PCV valve and got a new hose because the hose was kinked closed and was probably contributing to the high idle on the car. i got a new fuel filter and i also put some sea foam through the break booster to the intake head to clean off some carbon, and i got the idle to come down a little bit and run somewhat smoother.

now a few questions i got is regarding two different problems. one of the problems is when im deccelerating without applying brake pressure to a stop the idle on the car will rise a little to about 1k and drop. and it will rise and drop a few times before evenly idling to a stable ~600 - 700. but it gets as low as 400 it feels like. and ive check the vacuum hoses and i even replaced a new intake cause the old one was just terrible when i bought the car. so that is something i want to fix relatively soon.

the second question i got are the steps necessary to fix a broken speedometer. it does not even function at all but if i have been driving the car for a good amount of time, for example if i go into town which is roughly 30+ miles the speedo will jump all over the place. so i know it somewhat works, but havent looked at the vss connector yet for any corrosion or what not. so regarding this problem since she is an automatic would the speedometer not functioning properly, would that cause the car to be shifting hard? and would it cause the idle jumping up and down?

last question is after the few days i have had her, i did notice a pattern with the CEL, and how it only appears when i am de-cellerating without braking and that the CEL is cleared by the time i shut the car off and go do whatever it is im doing, like going in a store, and coming out to start her up again. so the CEL is cleared every time i shut the car off and only seems to appear when im de-cellerating. ideas? she did have a problem starting up while hot and she starts up just fine cold, but most of that is nearly gone with the replacement of the fuel filter. she still seems to have a little trouble starting up hot though, not nearly as bad as it was but still does not fire up right away like she should.

so any help would be amazing on where to start and where to look, THANKS GUYS (and GALS) in ADVANCE!


~Cozzy

 
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Do you mean that the light is simply off, or do you mean that there are no codes stored in the computer memory?

 
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the CEL light works, i would think that the CEL light would be on by the time i start the car again when it throws an error, but it doesnt, by the time i start the car the CEL light is off but normally comes back on after i start driving it again. i find it weird that the light or code the ECU throws would be stored and the light will remain on the next time i start the car but that is not the case

 
Rep Power: 518

Boy, you made that about as clear as mud.
Forget the light for the moment. Assume for now that the light comes on once the computer detects a problem. There is no rule that says the light HAS to stay on, so it is turned off until a problem is detected again. Repeat ad nauseam.



Now...
What codes are stored in the computer?
Are the codes erased every time you shut the car off?

 
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i do not know at the moment, i went to Autozone and O'Reilly's and they cant check for the codes because they do not have an OBD1 code reader, and im stumbled on where i can go to get them check when it does throw the codes and the light comes on, i would have to leave the engine running to get the codes check cause if i turn it off and go inside to bring a tech out to get it check it will have been cleared when i start her up again. ive been pondering on a timing issue or a mis-fire. but i guess i wont know unless i know of a way to get the codes read.

 
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The Zoo and Oreallys can't do it.

You need to learn about how to get your own codes out of the computer.

 
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Engine OFF, key OFF
Locate this plug.
2 wires, probably a blue connector. (If you found a plug with 3 wires, that's the wrong one. Keep looking.)

Make a jumper to connect the 2 wires. A paper clip may do, or a bread tie with the plastic peeled off.


Turn the key on, do not start the engine.
Count the flashes of the check engine light.
Standard 2-digit format. Tens digit first (long flashes), then ones (short flashes).

 
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ok, cool. did not even know that. so the codes are stored in the computer and the light is thrown when a problem arises. so i can just turn the key in acc after i jumped the pins and the CEL will give me the codes?

 
Rep Power: 518

Not ACC. Must be in the ON (run) position, but do not start the engine.


Once you have successfully read the codes (do it a few times to make sure you got it right, it is easy to screw this up!!),
then you can look up the meanings and figure out what to do about diagnosing it. If you screwed up the counting, you can cost yourself time and money and never solve the problem.

If you have multiple codes, it gets trickier. May want to erase the memory (battery disconnect), then see what code comes back after the light comes on again..






The speedo problem: If there is no CEL code related to the VSS (vehicle speed sensor), then it probably just needs the speedo head replaced. Common problem.

 
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i ran out there to her just now, and i watched it a few times and i got two codes from her, code 6 and code 17, i do not know how to get what those codes are but i can run out there again and see if those are the correct codes

 
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If you read it right, I got
Code 6 = ECT engine coolant temperature sensor (for the computer, not the gauge) -- could explain idle probs and hard start

17 = VSS Vehicle Speed Sensor

Check wiring first for both. (I get a lot of rodent problems here LOL)

 
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ok so basically ill look at the connectors and see if there is a solid connection from the wire to the sensor, i dont have time for it today but ill definatly update you tomorrow man, this means alot thanks for the help.

 
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Yw.
Hth

 
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UPDATE

i took out the ECT and the VSS sensors and cleaned the sensors and the plugs with contact cleaner, not nearly as bad corrosion as i thought. but anyways i unhooked the battery after cleaning the sensors and did an idle learn and test drove it and the only code she fired back at me is the VSS sensor, i didnt get the ECT this time. so i am thinking im gunna need a new VSS sensor.

and i also took out my cluster and looked at the bulbs, they do not looked burned out. and i swapped one out that i knew did work and plugged it in one of the backlight holes and still nothing. idk what to do in trying to get my entire backlight for my cluster to work again, i hate driving at night and not seeing how hot she is and where im at in fuel and all that good stuff.

im gunna go ahead and buy a new VSS and see if that fixes the last CEL problem i got

 
Rep Power: 518

If you can use a volt-ohm meter, that could go a long way toward not wasting cash trying to replace stuff that isn't broke.

Example: Understanding how it works, what it takes to make them work, and the ability to test and deduce-- would give an answer. I would use a test light as my tool (instead of a voltmeter), and a wiring diagram as my guide to "how it works".

I see in the wiring diagram that the parking lights are on the same fuse as the dash lights. Do the parking lights work?? (Fuse is good if they work.)

I see in the wiring diagram that almost every individual switch has a light bulb connected to the dash light circuit.
Turn the headlight switch on. Observe. Do ANY OTHER dash lights work: Switches are supposed to have their own illumination lights, along with the stock radio. Heater panel, hazard switch, shifter PRNDL panel (A/T), rear defog sw., ashtray has a light, cruise main....Do ANY of them light up?

Spin the wheel that controls the brightness of the dash lights. Did that help?

Pop the brightness control out of the dash, (leave wires connected). Turn lights on. Is there battery positive voltage on the red/black striped wire?
Is there ground on the black wire?
What does the red wire have on it?

 
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i have turned the brightness up on the dimmer

the turn signals and the PNRD32 lights up, the CEL lights up, the Parking brake lights up

all of the individual lights work and function, its just the backlight for the cluster that does not.

i have not taken out the dimmer yet, i can do that and look at that.

 
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OK
Did I mention any of those? No. Irrelevant. No connection to the lights in question. (The PRNDL light I mentioned earlier would be the one next to the shifter itself.)

Don't do that yet. No point until you answer these

 
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the parking lights, on the shifter, yes they work

i have an aftermarket radio, but the ac/ heater lights work and idk about the cruise. the ashtray light works and so does the rear Defog

 
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Ok so all the lights in the circuit still work EXCEPT the ones in the cluster. I'd pull the cluster out and inspect for power/ground on the two illumination circuit wires at the back of the gauge cluster (see a wiring diagram).

The answer there will determine the next step.

 
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ok, so what would be the first step of this, honestly looking at wiring diagrams give me a headache and i can not follow too well on what they mean.

ive taken the cluster out to look at the bulbs and they all look good, i dont know another way to test them outside the cluster to verify that they are indeed good bulbs

 
Rep Power: 518

If there is enough wire hanging out of the dash that you can flip the cluster around and still have it connected, then test for power and ground at any of the illumination sockets (with the lights on, of course).

Or follow the circuit board traces from a bulb socket to a wiring connector, then check those 2 wires for power and ground.


But if you can't use a diagram and a voltmeter, I'm not sure what to tell you then. I can't easily give a crash course in electrical theory here.
Make sure the bulbs are truly good, then ship it to someone who can figure it out? (I'd say to replace any that have darkened or turned silver.)


Simple. Use 2 wires and connect a bulb to the car battery.


Or use an ohm meter.

 
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ok, the past few days have been mad busy for work, i got spare time tomorrow and ill give you an update tomorrow afternoon / evening-ish

 
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so i got new bulbs cause there cheap and i would know if that fixed the problem right away and the the lights still dont work. so i took those back and i got me a light strip to just light up the dash and all i am going to do is wire it to a wire that turns on with the lights, hopefully that will fix it, i dont want to deal with it anymore as of right now